Gap narrows between public and private sector pay

The gap between public and private sector take home pay is now £62 - the closest it has been this year – according to the latest figures.

The VocaLink Take Home Pay Index shows that public sector workers still have the higher wage packets, taking home an average of £1,157 a month, compared to £1,505 in the private sector. However, the gap in real terms between pay is now less than half the difference from the start of the year, with pay freezes continuing to restrict wage growth.

Figures from the Office of National Statistics reveal that unemployment remains at 8.1%, about 2.59 million people.